Abortion Non-Discrimination Act Passes House – Success in Senate Doubtful
Thanks to your vigilance in contacting your representatives in Congress, yesterday, September 25, 2002, the U. S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4691 (ANDA) by a vote of 229-189 on final passage. The bill allows health care providers and institutions the right NOT to perform abortions due to conscientious objection.

If your representative is on either list, please call to register your disapproval or your thanks. Capitol Switchboard  202/224-3121.

Schumer Continues to Hold Up Bankruptcy Bill
Pro-abortion Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) amendment to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 344), which singles out peaceful pro-life protesters, prohibiting them from declaring bankruptcy when facing outrageous and discriminatory fines handed down by liberal judges, has caused the House leadership to derail the bill. While most Members appear to be in agreement that a clean Bankruptcy bill should be passed, the fact that Senator Schumer’s amendment remains in the Conference Report has raised the ire of pro-life Members with Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Joe Pitts (R-PA), John Shadegg (R-AZ), and Mike Pence (R-IN), leading the charge against it. House Majority Leader Dick Armey has said, “Unfortunately, the bill is afflicted with a totally extraneous provision having to do with abortion, put in by the other body.”

Sen. Schumer has admitted that the language of his amendment to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act conference report was written to target peaceful pro-life protesters. A news release from Congressman Joe Pitts (9/24/02) points out that during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Schumer said the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) was written to keep pro-life activists from protesting “in a peaceful way.” During questioning of judicial nominee Michael McConnell Schumer said, “They’d pay their fine and go back and stand in front of the clinic again. And they’d pay their fine and go back and stand in front of the clinic again. And they’d pay their fine and go back and stand ---. They were taking the law into their own hands – in a peaceful way, but a very serious way that led us to write the law. That is why the FACE law mandated not fifty-dollar fines [but large ones instead.]”The language of the Schumer amendment is identical in substance to the FACE Act.

House leaders will likely shelve the bill rather than risk alienating pro-life voters, and revive it after the November elections. We appreciate the work that pro-life Members have put into protecting the often-meager financial resources of the good people who pray and engage in sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics. Business leaders who are chagrined at the fate of the bill they have worked so hard to achieve should direct their anger not at pro-life Members, but at Senator Chuck Schumer who threw a monkey wrench into the gears of the bill. If it is to be fixed, it’s up to him to fix it by withdrawing his amendment.

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